It's Quiet the £250m return

Gumzy97 said:
Cherki is the one. I keep saying about him. But we’ve genuinely got potentially the best technical footballer in the world. Everything is easy and effortless to him.

That ball to Foden in the club World Cup , also the dink to Haaland in the other game off his other foot both balls took out the defence . Only special players can do that
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And he won't play ahead of Bernardo/Gundogan/Kovacic
 
Quinny851 said:
That's an enormous amount of activity in 2025.

I'd loved to be proved wrong but I just don't see how much impact Reis, Echeverri & Nypan will make this season given who they have in front of them. Are they going to get much playing time in the PL, I highly doubt it.

Again, this is my opinion but also one that is shared amongst many other supporters, if we go into the season with Nunes & Lewis as our two right back options then we won't be winning the league as they are simply not good enough for the level where we want to operate.

I'm not sure how much of the problems were psychological given that the season after winning the treble we somehow went and won an unprecedented 4th PL title. I think the issue more than likely points towards fatigue, it's no secret that Ake & Akanji in particular were "forced" to play with injuries.

There's a beautiful irony about your comment about us having torrid time and throwing inexperienced players into that cauldron could have caused dire consequences for their future as it was our heavy reliance on inexperienced players that ended up getting us into 3rd - especially O'Reilly & Marmoush.

There's a long way to go to address what many of us think are gaping holes in the squad but given the whispers that are coming out about our incoming business being over, it does cause concern.
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Oh yes, Marmoush and O'Reilly did very well, but Marmoush came in flying from Germany, and O'Reilly played with vast experience beside him. Yes, fatigue, both mental AND physical.

Could you tell me whom you believe is the outstanding RB at Liverpool? I guess you believe that they will be the league winners, and where our 'gaping' holes are?

Reis, Echeverri and Nypan may make a difference, or may not and will be loaned, but the idea that we have only bought three players is not true, though I respect that you were referring to this summer only.
 
blue ranger said:
Too slow, too light weight, has no awareness of people behind him. Genuinely don't think he is good enough for a club who wants to compete for big trophies.
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I know he’s young but his propensity to panic is also infectious and it impacts those around him.
 
The right back situation is absolute naivety. You're not winning a league with Nunes there as well as he's done.

Keep seeing people say Pep/Backroom staff will have a plan to deal with it, which is exactly what we heard about not signing a Rodri back up last season. Fast forward to September I think it'll look a horrendous mistake.
 
Gumzy97 said:
He's good enough in midfield. Not at full back. Rico in midfield is different to Rico at fullback. It's just we are stacked in that position.
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Don't think he is good enough in midfield? Which top 6 team in the Premier League would he get in as a midfielder? Maybe it's me. I just don't get it.
 
If we are to use players out of position at RB, then I don’t want to see Nunes there.
If Stones could stay fit he’d be ideal, along with Khusanov (Lewis as back up).
Both simply used to defend, with the attacking threat coming from Ait Nouri.
The front five or six should have enough about them to create goals.
 
Tb1981 said:
I’d say liverpools biggest weakness will be overconfidence
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Agree. Think Liverpool's weakness will come from tactical selection. They will somehow have to change their tactics due to the players they are bringing in. Isak, Wirtz and Salah sounds frightening and the best strikeforce on the planet in my opinion. Isak and Salah had 73 goal contributions combined last season, and adding Wirtz to that does look scary.

Arsenals issue will be whether they can use Odegaard correctly and get the best out of Gyokeres. I don't see why not as Saka is a top quality player who creates chances for fun.

City, in a transitional period. The end of a dominant cycle and losing Kev will be massive for us. We have the deepest squad imo, but our defence and RB spot is a huge concern, and titles are won with great defences. I think when we hit top form it will be like Pep's first season with us, not quite there yet but will blow some teams away. The season after this season is where I think we will take off just like how we did in the centurions year. Big future ahead for us.
 
blue ranger said:
Don't think he is good enough in midfield? Which top 6 team in the Premier League would he get in as a midfielder? Maybe it's me. I just don't get it.
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Brighton were ready to pay 50 million pounds last summer and play him in midfield. Granted they're not a top six team.

I wouldn't rule out the idea that someone comes in with a bid for him later in the window and he asks to leave.
 
BillyShears said:
Brighton were ready to pay 50 million pounds last summer and play him in midfield. Granted they're not a top six team.

I wouldn't rule out the idea that someone comes in with a bid for him later in the window and he asks to leave.
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£50m wow. Fair enough then that has surprised me. I just don't see it with him but happy to be proven wrong and wish him the best wherever he ends up. But he just doesn't have the attributes to play as a RB in my opinion and i don't see how he gets minutes in midfield. Surprised we are offering a new contract tbh.
 
blue ranger said:
Too slow, too light weight, has no awareness of people behind him. Genuinely don't think he is good enough for a club who wants to compete for big trophies.
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Rico Lewis has been part of the team that’s won loads of trophies though. That didn’t seem to stop us competing. At times he’s played a crucial role in particular games
 
blue ranger said:
£50m wow. Fair enough then that has surprised me. I just don't see it with him but happy to be proven wrong and wish him the best wherever he ends up. But he just doesn't have the attributes to play as a RB in my opinion and i don't see how he gets minutes in midfield. Surprised we are offering a new contract tbh.
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The issue he had last season in particular was that there was no stability and no pace in midfield or in the back four. There are ways to get the best out of Rico from right back, you just need a better team around him. FWIW I think it's very tricky if you're going to play Dias as the RCB because he's not blessed with pace/mobility either.

I love Rico and I want him to stay at City, but I do see a world in which at best this is his last season at the club. He's at a point where he needs to go and play regularly and develop rather than being a bit part player at City.
 
Cheadle_hulmeBlue said:
Rico Lewis has been part of the team that’s won loads of trophies though. That didn’t seem to stop us competing. At times he’s played a crucial role in particular games
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Indeed he did, and I remember the amount of praise he received, and clamour for him to take over from Kyle during the 2023/2024 season. Some soon forget.
 
oldius said:
Indeed he did, and I remember the amount of praise he received, and clamour for him to take over from Kyle during the 2023/2024 season. Some soon forget.
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Goes back to my point above that it's difficult to judge any of the squad on last season. It was a strange season and it was fraught with injuries, underperformance, and a general malaise which had set in. Pep has talked about all of those things in the last few months so I'm sure he's not going to let the same thing happen again.

If we're still having conversations about right back in January then I'm happy to hold my hands up and say I was wrong, but I genuinely think our winning/not winning the league will have nothing to do with our right back options.
 
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